Clinton Big Money Donor Wanted for Grand Theft (and other Democrat Misdeeds)

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Tam gets 2 days in jail, more than 300 hours of community service
By Ken Kobayashi
POSTED: 03:03 p.m. HST, Nov 01, 2011

A state judge ordered former City Councilman Rod Tam today to serve two days in jail and perform more than 300 hours of community service for stealing money from the city and violating state campaign spending laws.

Part-time Honolulu District Judge Randal Shintani also granted Tam’s request to defer his no-contest and guilty pleas, giving him a chance to have the cases dropped if he stays out of trouble for a period of time.

Shintani ordered Tam to report at 8:30 a.m. Dec. 30 to begin his jail sentence at Oahu Community Correctional Center. He will be released at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 1. State prosecutors had asked for six-month jail term.

Tam pleaded guilty in November last year to 26 misdemeanor and petty misdemeanor charges of theft and falsifying documents related to overcharging the city $8 to $267 for meals at Honolulu restaurants from 2007 to 2009.

He also pleaded no contest in June to eight misdemeanor charges of violating campaign spending laws from February 2008 to January 2009.

 He did not challenge the charges of falsely claiming he had a meal with a volunteer at a restaurant, failing to report two campaign contributions, misusing campaign funds and failing to maintain receipts to verify expenses.

Tam was a councilman during the time covered by the two criminal cases, but left the council at the start of this year after serving two four-year terms.

During his 32 years in elective office, he also served as a state representative and senator.

http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/133045113.html

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California assemblywoman Mary Hayashi charged with felony grand theft
Sacramento Bee ^ | 10/29/2011 | Jim Sanders

Posted on Tuesday, November 01, 2011 11:07:40 AM by Baynative

Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi has been charged with felony grand theft after allegedly being caught by security officers stealing nearly $2,500 in clothing from a San Francisco Neiman Marcus store.

The 45-year-old Castro Valley Democrat, wife of a Bay Area judge, pleaded not guilty Thursday in San Francisco Superior Court and is free on $15,000 bail pending further proceedings Nov. 15.

"The incident in San Francisco was a mistake and a misunderstanding," Singer said. "The assemblywoman strongly believes in the justice system and is hopeful that this matter will be cleared up soon."


(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...

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Rep. Laura Richardson (RAT-California) tries to head off ethics probe
Politico ^ | 11/02/11 | JOHN BRESNAHAN


Rep. Laura Richardson tries to head off ethics probe
By JOHN BRESNAHAN | 11/2/11 11:42 PM EDT


Rep. Laura Richardson is lobbying members of the House Ethics Committee in a last-ditch bid to avoid a formal investigation into allegations that she pressured her staff to engage in banned political activities while on her congressional payroll.


The California Democrat sent a private letter to all 10 members of the secretive panel Tuesday, stating that she would agree to a minor sanction such as a public reprimand over the alleged violations. But Richardson urged her House colleagues not to move forward with a full investigation. Such a probe would drag on well into 2012 and could be a serious blow to her already troubled reelection efforts.

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Ethics committee to investigate Rep. Richardson

By LARRY MARGASAK
Associated Press
    
 
 

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Rep. Laura Richardson charged Friday the House Ethics Committee has singled her out for scrutiny because she's African-American.

Richardson, D-Calif., effectively announced the committee's investigation before the panel revealed it, accusing fellow lawmakers of ignoring wrongdoing by others in order to focus on her.

The ethics committee is looking into whether she improperly used staff for political purposes.

The committee is composed of five members from each party. The ranking Democrat is a Hispanic, Rep. Linda Sanchez of California. Other Democratic members are Rep. Donna Edwards, an African-American from Maryland, and Rep. Pedro Pierluisi who represents Puerto Rico. The five Republicans are all white males.

"We argue that the committee has chosen to unjustly target its investigations concerning use of official House resources for political purposes on certain members, while overlooking the well-publicized misuse of official House resources for personal purposes by numerous other members of Congress," Richardson said in a statement.

"Specifically, numerous members have used their House offices for personal lodging, in some cases for years, saving tens of thousands of dollars personally at taxpayers' expense," her statement said. "Under House rules, personal use of House resources is as impermissible as political use."

A number of House members have publicly acknowledged sleeping in their offices, but the Ethics Committee has not prohibited the practice.

Richardson also said she would "explore the issue of whether the Ethics Committee has engaged in discriminatory conduct in pursuing two investigations against me while simultaneously failing to apply the same standards to, or take the same actions against, other members - of whom the overwhelming majority are white males."

The Ethics Committee last year concluded after a seven-month investigation that Richardson did not receive an improper gift from a lender, nor did she fail to disclose real property, income and liabilities on her financial disclosure forms.

This is not the first time the committee has investigated use of congressional staff for political purposes.

The committee in 2006 concluded an investigation of Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., with a statement that the lawmaker agreed to specific steps to ensure that his staff was not used for political purposes. The committee did not issue a finding that Conyers misused his staff, but noted that the lawmaker acknowledged a "lack of clarity" in his communications with staff regarding their official duties.

The statement said Conyers "accepted responsibility for his actions."

.

© 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
 

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lol.  Play that race card.     She also violated Skip's rules by trying to justify her conduct by pointing to the misconduct of others. 

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FBI raids RI lawmaker's office
WPRI.com ^ | Nov 9, 2011 | Nancy Krause
Posted on November 10, 2011 7:36:49 PM EST by KeyLargo

FBI raids RI lawmaker's office Sources: Rep. under investigation for fraud

Updated: Thursday, 10 Nov 2011, 6:02 AM EST Published : Wednesday, 09 Nov 2011, 3:30 PM EST

* By Nancy Krause

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Federal investigators spent Wednesday bringing out boxes from the Providence office of Rep. John J. McCauley during an afternoon raid.

According to Jim Martin from the US Attorney's Office in Providence, agents were executing a search warrant at McCauley & L'Europa Public Insurance Adjusters.

Law enforcement sources told Eyewitness News McCauley, deputy speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives, was under investigation for alleged insurance fraud.

Law men and women spent about an hour at the location Wednesday, removing multiple computers and more than a dozen brown boxes.

Sources also said a federal grand jury is hearing testimony on this case this week.

According to our newspartners at The Providence Journal , McCauley's business partner - William L'Europa - watched the raid but did not speak.

A task force of Providence Police, RI State Police, FBI and ATF are involved in the probe.

McCauley was hospitalized Saturday night. Sources said McCauley had learned of the investigation that day.

TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Politics/Elections; US: Rhode Island; Click to Add Topic

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Tony Rezko Sentenced To Decade Behind Bars
by Marla Cichowski | November 22, 2011


Tony Rezko

A former fundraiser to President Barack Obama was sentenced to 10.5 years in federal prison today. Tony Rezko, 56, will end up spending only seven years behind bars because the judge gave him credit for time he's already served.

In 2008, Rezko was convicted of pay to play politics including fraud, bribery and extorting millions from businesses seeking contracts with the state of Illinois while Rod Blagojevich was Governor.

Rezko, a real estate developer, was a well known fundraiser in Illinois political circles. For years he donated money to Republicans and Democrats, including Barack Obama during his campaign for Illinois Senate and later for US Senate. Rezko and Obama first met in 1991 and later engaged in a small real estate deal when Obama bought his home in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. Obama later referred to the deal as a mistake.

Rezko's attorneys hoped the judge would sentence Rezko to the 3.5 years he's already served. Prosecutors say Rezko actually refused to cooperate with them after he was first arrested and charged.

"Rezko lied point-blank repeatedly over his first 19 interview sessions about his criminal involvement with Blagojevich," according to a court filing.

Rezko's sentencing of 10.5 years could set a precedent for the upcoming sentencing of convicted Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. Blagojevich was found guilty on multiple corruption charges during his re-trial earlier this year. His sentencing is scheduled for Tuesday December 6th in Chicago.

http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2011/11/22/tony-rezko-sentenced-decade-behind-bars?test=latestnews

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The Blago Blog



http://blogs.suntimes.com/blago/2011/12/blagojevich_gets_14_years.html


Inside the Rod Blagojevich investigation and related cases  Blagojevich gets 14 years
By Natasha Korecki on December 7, 2011 12:31 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks


"The harm here is not measured in the value of money and property," Judge Zagel tells Blagojevich.

"The harm is the erosion of the public trust in government; [people's] confidence in and trust in government," Zagel said.

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Skip to comments.

Democrats Charged In Massive Vote Fraud Scam In Jennings County (Indiana)
advanceindiana ^ | 10-21-11 | AdvanceIndiana

Posted on Thursday, December 08, 2011 4:03:26 PM by tcrlaf

A former state representative and prominent Democratic leader and political consultant from Jennings County, Mike Marshall, has been indicted on multiples counts of vote fraud, forgery and perjury, along with Marshall's son, Chris, and another local Democrat, John Cook. The Columbus Republic has the story on the grand jury indictments just returned against the men:

Three Jennings County residents face a combined 65 felony counts after being indicted by a grand jury on charges of vote fraud, forgery and perjury.

Mike Marshall, a Democrat and president of North Vernon's Utilities Service Board, faces 12 Class D felony counts of forgery, 13 Class D felony counts of perjury and 20 Class D felony counts of vote fraud, according to paperwork filed with the Jennings County clerk's office.

Marshall's son Chris Marshall faces one count each of forgery and perjury and nine counts of vote fraud.

John Cook, a Democrat and member of the Utilities Service Board, faces two counts of forgery, three counts of perjury and four counts of vote fraud.

The case stems from an absentee ballot filed in last year's election.

Marshall, as the local Democratic party leader in Jennings County, has been credited in recent years with turning out incredibly large numbers of absentee ballots that have tipped several close races in favor of the Democrats, including a local state representative race that narrowly gave Democrats control of the Indiana House of Representatives a few years ago.

Marshall was featured in The Voting Film Project, a documentary on the 2008 presidential election along with another Indiana Republican Party activist, Dee Dee Benkie.


(Excerpt) Read more at advanceindiana.com ...


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Name That Party: Local Media Largely Omit Democratic Affiliation of Criminal D.C. Councilman
By Ken Shepherd | January 06, 2012

A Democratic member of the Washington, D.C. City Council announced his resignation yesterday after he decided to plea guilty to federal charges of embezzlement and filing false tax returns.

The news of Harry Thomas Junior's resignation made the front page of today's Washington Post, which promptly noted the disgraced councilman's Democratic Party affiliation. Thomas's party affiliation, however, was ignored by the websites for WJLA and WRC, the ABC and NBC affiliates. WUSA, the CBS affiliate, mentioned deep in its coverage that Thomas "agreed to resign from the seat once held by his father representing residents of the heavy democratic voting Ward 5."

Relying on an Associated Press story, 24-hour radio news station WTOP failed to note Thomas's party affiliation in a story on his forthcoming guilty plea. National Public Radio-affiliated D.C. station WAMU failed to note Thomas's party affiliation on its website.

WAMU is owned and operated by -- and its FCC license is granted to -- American University, a private educational institution in the District of Columbia. The station "is not associated with other public radio or television stations in the area, nor is it an ancillary facility of National Public Radio," and its revenue is largely generated by listener contributions. That said, WAMU received $247,500 in its 2011 fiscal year in NPR licensing fees, $260,302 in a "national program acquisition grant from CPB [the Corporation for Public Broadcasting]," and $733,217 in a "community service grant from CPB."

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/ken-shepherd/2012/01/06/name-party-local-media-largely-omit-democratic-affiliation-criminal-dc

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East Bay Assemblywoman Enters Shoplifting Plea, Tumor To Blame?
January 6, 2012 11:47 PM


SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – A state assemblywoman accused of shoplifting at a Neiman Marcus store in San Francisco’s Union Square pleaded no contest Friday to a misdemeanor charge and her attorney said a benign brain tumor might have led to the incident.

Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi, D-Hayward, initially pleaded not guilty to a felony grand theft charge after her arrest on Oct. 25 at the store at 150 Stockton St. and was released on $15,000 bail.

A security guard had stopped Hayashi with items worth $2,445 that she had not paid for, according to prosecutors.


Hayashi, 45, appeared in court Friday afternoon and changed her plea after the charge was reduced to a misdemeanor.

Judge Gerardo Sandoval immediately sentenced Hayashi to three years of unsupervised court probation and ordered her to stay 50 feet away from the Neiman Marcus store. She was also ordered to pay $180 in fines and fees, which she promptly did after leaving court.

Hayashi, who was wearing a pair of cheetah-print high heels, a green jacket and black slacks and had a black Chanel purse slung over her shoulder, declined to speak to reporters following the hearing.

Hayashi’s defense attorney Douglas Rappaport said outside of court that the assemblywoman has a benign brain tumor that may have impacted her decision-making abilities.

Rappaport said the tumor is curable and treatable and “is no longer affecting her concentration or her judgment.”

He said, “according to (medical) experts,” the tumor has likely impacted her behavior.

The information about the tumor was “recently” presented to prosecutors, he said.

Rappaport indicated outside of court that the case could have been dismissed Friday, giving the district attorney’s office the opportunity to refile charges.

“In the spirit of compromise, now that Ms. Hayashi’s medical conditions resulting in her arrest have been taken care of, she decided to resolve the case as well,” he said.

After an unrelated news conference Friday morning, before learning that the charge against Hayashi would be reduced to a misdemeanor, District Attorney George Gascon said he and his office would support such a change.

“We’re dealing with a first-time offender, and if the court decides to go in a different direction, we’re going to support that,” Gascon said.

Although Gascon said prosecutors felt that there was clear evidence to treat the crime as a felony, he added, “the way that we begin a case is not always the way that the case ends, and that is also part of the process.”

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz Parents Off to Jail for Corruption
Atlas Shrugs ^ | 1/18/12 | Pamela Geller
Posted on January 18, 2012 10:08:05 PM EST by Nachum

The rotten apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Moochers, looters and destroyers.

DNC Chair’s parents off to jail for corruption Political Arena

Of all of the most vile, bold face, shameless liars in politics, no one tops acting DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz. We have videos of her and youtube is rife with them; bloggers have sliced and diced her lies with verifiable sources from one end of the country to the other.

Like Mother like daughter?

Broward-Pal Beach Times:

Richard Rubin Sentenced to Ten Months in Federal Prison Richard Rubin and Diana Wasserman-Rubin

Richard Rubin — husband of former Broward County Commissioner Diana Wasserman-Rubin, who still faces seven felony charges of her own — was sentenced this morning to ten months in federal prison.

Rubin, 66, pleaded guilty in April to federal tax evasion after failing to report $100,000 in fees he received from the town of Davie for a land deal he brokered in 2004.

With attorney David Bogenschutz at his side, Rubin managed to get only ten months up the river — which is in accordance with sentencing guidelines but much less than the maximum penalty of five years.

(Excerpt) Read more at atlasshrugs2000.typepad. com ...

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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2837369/posts


Incredible.   Obama Hillary and all the thugs they surround themselves w are crooks.

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Two of Obama’s Top Campaign Bundlers Brothers With Fugitive Wanted on Drug And Fraud Charges In US, Raised Over $200K For Reelection Effort

(NY Times) — Two American brothers of a Mexican casino magnate who fled drug and fraud charges in the United States and has been seeking a pardon enabling him to return have emerged as major fund-raisers and donors for President Obama’s re-election campaign.

The casino owner, Juan Jose Rojas Cardona, known as Pepe, jumped bail in Iowa in 1994 and disappeared, and has since been linked to violence and corruption in Mexico. A State Department cable in 2009 said he was suspected of orchestrating the assassination of a business rival and making illegal campaign donations to Mexican officials.

When The New York Times asked the Obama campaign early Monday about the Cardonas, officials said they were unaware of the brother in Mexico. Later in the day, the campaign said it was refunding the money raised by the family, which totaled more than $200,000.

As recently as January of last year, one of Mr. Cardona’s brothers in Chicago, Carlos Rojas Cardona, arranged for the former chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party to seek a pardon from the governor for Pepe Cardona, according to prosecutors in that state. None was forthcoming.

Last fall, Carlos Cardona and another brother in Chicago, Alberto Rojas Cardona, began raising money for the Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee. The Cardona brothers, who have no prior history of political giving, appeared seemingly out of nowhere in the world of Democratic fund-raising, Democratic activists said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/07/us/politics/major-obama-donors-are-tied-to-pepe-cardona-mexican-fugitive.html?_r=2

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Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin under investigation: source
Reuters ^ | Feb 11, 2012 | Kathy Finn
Posted on February 11, 2012 9:06:36 PM EST by george76

Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, the colorful and controversial spokesman for the city after the devastating Hurricane Katrina in 2005, is under investigation by federal authorities, a source with direct knowledge of the probe said.

The source told Reuters on Friday that several people linked to Nagin or the New Orleans city administration during his two terms as mayor ending in 2010 were cooperating with the U.S. Justice Department and the FBI

...

Nagin, who is black, was criticized for racial divisiveness after Katrina for urging residents to rebuild a "chocolate New Orleans,"

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...

[tu_holmes]

Nagin, who is black, was criticized for racial divisiveness after Katrina for urging residents to rebuild a "chocolate New Orleans,"

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...

If it was made out of Chocolate it would be the number one destination for women around the world!

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Florida lawmaker resigns over suggestive texts to prosecutor
Published February 24, 2012
Associated Press
 
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. –  A lawmaker says he is resigning after admitting he sent suggestive and harassing texts to a married federal prosecutor.
Richard Steinberg announced Friday he is immediately resigning from the Florida House. The resignation comes two days after news reports that he used a hidden identity to send unsolicited messages to assistant U.S. Attorney Marlene Fernandez-Karavetsos.

The Miami Beach Democrat returned home from the Capitol after The Miami Herald reported the story Wednesday. In a statement announcing the resignation, Steinberg apologized to everyone he's hurt and asked for privacy while he deals with personal affairs.
Steinberg is married and has a young daughter.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/02/24/florida-lawmaker-resigns-over-suggestive-texts-to-prosecutor/?test=latestnews

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John Edwards sex tape to be destroyed after settlement reached
By the CNN Wire Staff
updated 5:31 AM EST, Fri February 24, 2012

(CNN) -- A former aide and a former mistress of one-time presidential candidate John Edwards have settled a civil lawsuit between them that, among other measures, mandates the imminent destruction of sex tapes featuring Edwards and the woman.

Orange County, North Carolina, Superior Court Judge Carl Fox on Thursday signed the settlement agreement between Andrew Young, his wife and Rielle Hunter, the woman who had sued the couple, according to court official Tammy Keshler.

Hunter had sued Young and his wife, Cheri, for invasion of privacy seeking to reclaim materials that she said belong to her, including personal photographs and an alleged sex tape showing her with Edwards.

While the settlement addresses the transfer and destruction of videos, photographs and other documents, no monetary damages were awarded and the Youngs admit no liability.

The court clerk will destroy the sex tape, while the Youngs must make a good-faith effort to ensure that the copy of the video that they gave to the U.S. government is likewise destroyed, per the agreement.

The former aide and his wife will get back family videos and photos, though they cannot use any that include Hunter or her daughter -- whom Edwards has admitted he fathered -- for anything besides family purposes.

Young wrote a book, "The Politician: An Insider's Account of John Edwards's Pursuit of the Presidency and the Scandal That Brought Him Down," in which he describes an elaborate plan to use money from two wealthy benefactors to allow Edwards to maintain a relationship with Hunter. She worked as a videographer on the failed 2008 presidential campaign of the former North Carolina senator, who was also the Democrats' 2004 vice presidential nominee with running mate John Kerry.

Plans are under way to make that book, "The Politician," into a movie from Aaron Sorkin and Colvin Road Entertainment.

The Youngs can use information already in the book, in court proceedings or otherwise in the public domain. But anything beyond that is prohibited by court order, and the couple cannot publicize the planned film.

A gag order prohibits either of the parties from discussing the settlement.

The agreement does not resolve the pending criminal contempt proceedings against Young and his wife.

Young's former boss, Edwards, is scheduled to be on trial himself after being indicted last year on charges including conspiracy, issuing false statements and violating campaign contribution laws regarding donations to and payments from his presidential campaign.

Whether the money given to support Hunter by Edwards' benefactors -- as alleged by Young in his book -- should have been considered campaign donations is a key issue in Edwards' upcoming trial. The ex-senator's legal team has disputed that notion, maintaining the money was a gift to Hunter.

If convicted on all counts, Edwards could face 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1.5 million.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/23/justice/north-carolina-edwards-sex-tape/index.html

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Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Tuesday, February 28, 2012 -- 12:55 PM EST
-----

Campaign Treasurer for New York City Comptroller Liu Is Arrested

The campaign treasurer for City Comptroller John C. Liu was arrested on Tuesday as a part of a widening investigation into Mr. Liu’s fundraising practices.

The treasurer, Jia Hou, faces charges of fraud and obstruction of justice for what federal prosecutors say was her role in funneling illegal campaign money to Mr. Liu by using straw, or phony, donors.

Read More:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/29/nyregion/lius-campaign-treasurer-arrested-on-fraud-charges.html?emc=na

About This E-Mail
You received this message because you are signed up to receive breaking news alerts from NYTimes.com.

To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to sign up for daily headlines or other newsletters, go to:
http://www.nytimes.com/email

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Copyright 2012 The New York Times Company

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State Treasurer Bill Lockyer hunkers down as sex, drug scandal unfolds
Sacramento Bee ^ | 3/3/12 | Kevin Yamamura
Posted on March 3, 2012 10:59:37 AM EST by SmithL

In the past week, producers for "Inside Edition" and the "Dr. Phil" show have reached out to state Treasurer Bill Lockyer.

They were not asking about his $1.9 billion refinance of state bond debt.

Lockyer, a 70-year-old elder statesman of Capitol politics, finds himself mired in personal controversy and the subject of media attention after his wife said she was injured in a violent assault and acknowledged undergoing treatment for chemical dependency.

The latest twist: She also made a sex tape with the methamphetamine user she says attacked her, a development reported by the San Francisco Chronicle and confirmed by The Bee.

Nadia Lockyer, 40, remains at a rehab center after allegedly suffering a Feb. 3 assault at a Newark hotel. An Alameda County supervisor, she said in a statement that "interpersonal violence is something that can affect anyone, and I am glad this experience is in my past."

"Alcoholism and addiction," she said, "are diseases from which many of us suffer, and unfortunately, I have not been spared."

Longtime friends said it was an unfortunate turn in the life of Bill Lockyer, a state lawmaker for a quarter-century before serving as attorney general and now treasurer. They also expressed concern for the Hayward couple's 8-year-old son.

"Everybody knows someone who's a loved one who's had personal problems," said Patrick Johnston, a former Democratic legislator who served with Lockyer in the Assembly and Senate. "It would be easier to work through those problems outside of public scrutiny, but in elected office there is an inevitable component of revealing things, which other people don't have to go through."

Lockyer himself told the Chronicle in a letter to the editor that the attention is "painful ... but fair. We are elected officials."

(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...

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Disparate Impact: Black Lawmakers and Ethics Investigations
The Atlantic ^ | 3/3/2012



A disproportionate share of cases have been brought against Congressional Black Caucus members. African-American lawmakers would like to know why.

Emanuel Cleaver, a Methodist minister and the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, stood up and began searching his desk for a Bible. Cleaver wasn't looking up a particular verse or Psalm. He grabbed the Good Book for emphasis. He wanted to hold it in his hands as he declared, with a firm shake, that the way Congress investigates the ethics of its own lawmakers is horribly broken.

"I think," Cleaver said, "the facts speak for themselves."

The facts say this: African-Americans make up 10 percent of the House, but as of the end of February, five of the sitting six named lawmakers under review by the House Ethics Committee are black. The pattern isn't new. At one point in late 2009, seven lawmakers were known to be involved in formal House ethics inquiries; all were members of the Congressional Black Caucus. An eighth caucus member, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. of Illinois, had also been under investigation, but his probe was halted temporarily while the Justice Department undertook an inquiry of its own.

All told, about one-third of sitting black lawmakers have been named in an ethics probe during their careers, according to a National Journal review.

Only two members of Congress have been formally charged with ethics violations in recent years and have faced the specter of public trials -- Reps. Charles Rangel of New York (censured) and Maxine Waters of California (investigation ongoing). Both are black. There are no African-Americans in the Senate. Remember the most recent black senator, Roland Burris of Illinois? Reprimanded by the Senate Ethics Committee in 2009.

Those are the facts, as Cleaver said. The question is why so many African-American members have been...


(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...

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John Edwards Campaign Must Repay $2M to Treasury
Friday, 16 Mar 2012

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The Federal Election Commission is upholding a ruling that requires the campaign of former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards to repay the U.S. Treasury more than $2.1 million in public matching funds.

According to documents unsealed Friday, the commission has denied the campaign's request to reconsider its original repayment order. The FEC says the campaign now has less than a month to pay back the money.

Lawyers working for Edwards in the case did not have an immediate response Friday morning. Edwards' lawyers had requested a review of the original order, which was issued last July.

The FEC case is separate from a pending criminal trial in which Edwards has pleaded not guilty to charges of violating campaign finance law in a bid to cover up an extramarital affair.

http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Edwards-CampaignMoney/2012/03/16/id/432823

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Dem Congressional Candidate Arrested for Aggravated Assault With a Deadly Weapon
The Blaze ^ | 03/17/2012 | E. Ritz
Posted on March 17, 2012 8:46:04 PM EDT by izzatzo

Cynthia Clinkingbeard, a BSU professor and Democratic candidate for Congress, has been arrested by Boise police after walking into a Staples store, making “strange, threatening remarks,” and pulling a gun on employees.

(Excerpt) Read more at theblaze.com ...

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CA: Assemblyman Hernandez was driving state car when arrested ('weaving' D-West Covina .. DUI)
Los Angeles Times ^ | 4/20/12 | Patrick McGreevy
Posted on April 20, 2012 10:32:26 PM EDT by NormsRevenge

State Assemblyman Roger Hernandez (D-West Covina) was driving a state car away from the Sacramento area without the required permission when he was arrested last month on suspicion of drunken driving, officials said Friday.

Hernandez was stopped by police in Concord at 2 a.m. on March 27 after officers saw his car weaving between lanes.

At the time, Hernandez was driving a Toyota Camry owned by the state and assigned to the Assembly’s vehicle pool. Such vehicles are not supposed to be driven out of the Sacramento area without permission, which Hernandez failed to get for his Concord trip, ..

"As a freshman he has been reminded of that,'' Waldie said.

But Hernandez is still being allowed access to state cars, Waldie said. ..

(Excerpt) Read more at latimesblogs.latimes.com ...

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William ‘Cold Cash’ Jefferson (D-Frigidaire) must report to the cooler soon
Michelle Malkin.com | April 20,2012 | Doug Powers
Posted on April 22, 2012 8:25:32 PM EDT by Hojczyk

I’d honestly forgotten that William Jefferson, Democrat, Louisiana, wasn’t already in jail. It’s been about two and a half years since former Louisiana Rep. was sentenced to 13 years in prison for soliciting bribes, money laundering and other assorted crimes, which culminated in the authorities discovering $90,000 in cash in Jefferson’s freezer hidden in boxes of pie crusts and Boca burgers. Jefferson is just now about to begin serving the time:

A former Louisiana congressman who infamously was caught with $90,000 in cash hidden in his freezer will have to begin serving a 13-year bribery sentence within the next two weeks, a judge ruled Friday. Democrat William Jefferson, who represented parts of New Orleans for nearly 20 years, was convicted and sentenced back in 2009 for taking roughly $500,000 in bribes and seeking millions more in exchange for using his influence to broker business deals in Africa. But he has been free on bond, living in New Orleans while appealing his conviction.